The rule
High school sports in Hawaii are governed by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA). The rule is Section 2, Eligibility, paragraph I (amateur status), item 4, of the Administrative Regulations of the HHSAA, revised October 2025 and current; the June 2024 revision listed four losses of amateur status with no NIL item. Everything on this page is taken from the HHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | No, sport by sport, since the October 2025 revision; an NIL contract related to that sport forfeits amateur status in that sport, and the regulations say nothing about deals unrelated to the sport |
| Who must be told | Nothing; there is no NIL process |
| School and HHSAA marks | No rule |
| Banned categories | None |
| Cash-prize events | Allowed only if the student declares amateur status in advance and winnings are held in trust until eligibility ends (2.I.1) |
| Awards | Accepting monetary awards brings ineligibility until reinstated (5.F) |
| Transfers | Undue influence to secure a transfer brings one year of ineligibility (2.A.3) |
| Agents | No wording; Hawaii's athlete-agent act (chapter 481Z, 2019) registers agents with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs |
| Penalty | Ineligible for further high school competition in that same sport; schools face reprimand, probation, restriction, suspension or costs (6.F) |
What the rule says
- The rule. Under Section 2, paragraph I, item 4, entering into "a name image likeness contract related to that sport" forfeits amateur status, and so eligibility, in that sport.
- Other sports. The paragraph's closing sentence keeps the student eligible in other sports.
- What the regulations do not say. Nothing about NIL deals unrelated to the student's sport; no disclosure, no marks rule, no banned categories, no agent wording.
- Cash prizes. Under 2.I.1, cash-prize events are allowed only if the student declares amateur status in advance and any winnings are held in trust until eligibility ends; under 5.F, accepting monetary awards brings ineligibility until reinstated.
- Transfers. Undue influence to secure a transfer brings one year of ineligibility (2.A.3).
- The 2025 change. The June 2024 revision listed four losses of amateur status (competing for money, an assumed name, cashing an award, a professional contract) and no NIL item; the October 2025 revision added item 4 and the cash-prize trust rule.
- The penalty. Ineligible "for further high school competition in that same sport"; schools face reprimand, probation, restriction, suspension or costs (6.F). The Executive Board can amend at any meeting (Section 8); re-check January 2027.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the HHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers HHSAA member schools. A school in another association follows that association's rule.
- College rules later. A deal that is fine in high school can still matter to the NCAA, NJCAA or NAIA. At Division I, third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go, and prospects report from the first day of junior year. The NIL guide has the college windows and NIL Go has its own page.
- Agents. The state's athlete-agent law applies to high school athletes; can a high school athlete have an agent? and the state-by-state registration table cover it.
- Taxes. NIL pay is taxable at any age. NIL taxes in plain words.
- The contract itself. What each clause means.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state, level and age, and a disclosure packet for the school comes with a countdown to the deadline. It is a summary, not a ruling; your school decides. Athletes 13 to 17 use Leave through an account a parent or guardian creates, and are visible to businesses only when the guardian has turned that on and the state allows high school NIL. Leave is software, not an agent. You decide, you send.
Questions about high school NIL in Hawaii
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Hawaii?
Not for the sport the deal relates to. Since the October 2025 revision of the HHSAA Administrative Regulations, entering into a name, image and likeness contract related to that sport forfeits amateur status in that sport. The regulations do not address deals unrelated to the student's sport.
Does an NIL contract end eligibility in every sport in Hawaii?
No. The regulation forfeits amateur status in the sport the contract relates to; the closing sentence of the amateur paragraph says the student stays eligible in other sports.
When did Hawaii's rule change?
October 2025. The June 2024 revision listed four losses of amateur status (competing for money, an assumed name, cashing an award, a professional contract) and no NIL item; the October 2025 revision added the NIL contract item and the cash-prize trust rule. The Executive Board can amend at any meeting.
What is the penalty in Hawaii?
Ineligibility for further high school competition in that same sport. Section 6.F adds reprimand, probation, restriction, suspension or costs for schools.
Be your own agent. Leave.